My Sunday Suppers Summer Desserts

Photos by Karen Mordechai Photography

As you might already know, two weekends ago, I was a guest chef at Sunday Suppers. It was my second time collaborating, but this time I actually had to teach a class myself. I had such a fantastic weekend and I hope those who attended enjoyed it as much as I did.

I was not able to photograph any of the desserts myself because first, I was busy at work trying to get all guests to bake the different components and second, because right before the class started, my entire lower right leg swell up due to a spider bite and I could barely move. I don't even know how I made it through the class. Everyone was a trooper helping out and taking charge in the kitchen. What a great team it was!

Photos by Karen Mordechai Photography

The theme of the night was summer, so I designed a three course menu around summer fruits with a bit of a rustic touch to accompany the rest of Casey and Karen's menu.

The day before at the Union Square farmer's market we found the sweetest berries for the berry consomme and lemon champagne sorbet pre-dessert. A small, tart and refreshing dessert to cleanse the palate.

The main dessert was composed of a bottom layer of pistachio crumble, vanilla roasted nectarines, lemon and almond sponge filled with vanilla mousseline and topped with a quenelle of lemon and mascarpone cream.

We finished off with an assortment of mignardises or small cookies. Pistachio and currant shortbreads, raspberry financiers and pecan sandies.



I loved the simplicity of the tables with the kraft paper, antique flatware and linens, which came to life with the amazing flower arrangements that Jessie of Rountree Flowers put together. Colorful, unexpected... a dramatic contrast to the simplicity of the rest. It was perfection. The menus were once again designed by super talented Erica of Thoughtful Day.

My pre-dessert was served in the most beautiful bowls created specifically for the night by Asya of Gleena Ceramics. Each bowl was uniquely labeled with a number from 1 to 18 representing the 18 guests. Amazing touches like these are the ones that really make Sunday Suppers magical.



For more photos and all the recipes for my desserts, please visit Sunday Suppers (here, here and here).

Thank you Karen and Casey for having me again!... and for those of you who have not attended... what are you waiting for!

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My Sunday Suppers Summer Desserts

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Red Currant and Poppy Seed Cakes, Arroz con Leche Cupcakes, Summer Galettes and a Week with the Chickenpox

Believe me, I am not exaggerating a bit when I tell you that last week was one of the longest weeks of my life. We were in the middle of some renovations at home and all the anxiety that brings, when my little boy came down with a pretty bad case of chickenpox. The poor thing was covered from head to toe with blisters and red spots and I have never seen him that uncomfortable in my life.

The fever and severe itching only lasted about three days, but we were confined at home for a whole week until all spots were covered with scabs and he was no longer contagious. We did not leave the house for a whole week. Yes, an entire week.



Although I know this is a fairly common childhood illness and there was no need to be alarmed, to see my little one suffer so much and be so sleep deprived from constant itching breaks my heart. The first few days, I just kept giving him oatmeal baths and tried to keep him cool and comfortable. However, that soon passed and then came boredom.

He wanted to go outside and play with friends and didn't understand why he couldn't. He became fascinated with the idea that he had the chickenpox. "The chickenpox? I have the chickenpox?", he would say. So what do we do in our family when we run out of puzzles, books, games and movies (and we watched a lot of them!)? We bake.



The first day, he helped me make arroz con leche, which is our go to comfort dessert. We make it when we are happy, when we just want to watch a movie and snuggle or when we are sick. From that came the idea of reserving some of the milk and using that to make cupcakes, which everyone loved.

We used the arroz con leche cooking milk to flavor the cupcakes and the custard we used as a filling. We even soaked the cupcakes with some of the milk while they were still hot. Very, very moist. And we topped them with a meringue icing.

The following day we made galettes with nectarines, red currant and gooseberries and some leftover sugar dough I had in the freezer. We also made buttermilk, poppy seed and red currant mini pound cakes and even baked some of the batter in individual glass jars for something fun and different.



I have to say that the uncomfortable and painful stage of the chickenpox is gone, but the poor thing is still covered in spots and scabs. We did leave the house this past weekend for the first time and I have to admit, grocery shopping has never been so exciting in my life.

Red Currant and Poppy Seed Cakes

Makes 3 small loaves or 1 large one

170 grams butter, room temperature
250 grams sugar
1 tsp vanila extract
Zest of 1 lemon
2 eggs
180 grams buttermilk
180 grams flour
4 grams baking powder
3 grams salt
7 grams poppy seeds
100 grams fresh red currants

Cream the butter and sugar together until light. Add the vanilla extract and lemon zest.

Add the eggs one at a time and scrape to incorporate well.

Add the flour, baking powder and salt and mix. Add the buttermilk and mix. Add the poppy seeds and fold in the red currants.

Pour the batter into pans and bake at 350F for about 25-30 minutes.

Nectarine, Red Currant and Gooseberry Galettes

Makes about 3 galettes

2 nectarines, peeled and sliced
25 grams red currants
25 grams gooseberries
15 grams flour
10 grams vanilla sugar
pinch salt

Toss the filling ingredients together.

Roll sugar dough to about 1/8" thickness. Cut circles that are about 10" in diameter. Place the filling in the middle and fold edges over. Brush edges with egg wash and sprinkle some sugar.

Bake at 400F for about 20-25 minutes until bottom golden brown.

Arroz con Leche Cupcakes

Makes a dozen cupcakes

110 grams butter, room temperature
200 grams sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
2 eggs
125 grams arroz con leche cooking milk
175 grams flour
7 grams baking powder

Cream together the butter and sugar until light. Add lemon zest. Add eggs one at a time and scrape the bowl well.

Add the flour and baking powder and mix. Add the arroz con leche cooking milk and mix until combined.

Divide the cupcake batter into the cupcake papers and bake at 350F for about 25 minutes.

Arroz con Leche Custard

250 grams arroz con leche cooking milk
1 cinnamon stick
Zest of a lemon
3 egg yolks
40 grams sugar
25 grams cornstarch
75 grams butter, cold and cut into small pieces

We are going to make a pastry cream with all the ingredients. Place the arroz con leche cooking milk, cinnamon, lemon zest and half of the sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a light boil.

Whisk together the egg yolks, half of the sugar and cornstarch in a bowl. When the milk mixture comes to a light boil, temper it into the egg yolk mixture. Whisk to incorporate and then return this to the saucepan. Cook while constantly whisking until the custard thickens.

Remove the cinnamon stick and transfer the custard to a clean bowl. Whisk to slightly cool the custard down and start adding the cold butter while whisking. This will cool it down and make it shiny and creamier.

Place plastic wrap directly on top of the custard to prevent a skin from forming and chill.

Swiss Meringue

200 grams egg whites
400 grams sugar

Mix the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Place the bowl over a water bath and whisk until sugar starts to dissolve, the mixture turns very white and fluffy and feels very hot to the touch.

Place the bowl in the mixer and whip the meringue until thick and the bowl feels cool.

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Red Currant and Poppy Seed Cakes, Arroz con Leche Cupcakes, Summer Galettes and a Week with the Chickenpox

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Stone Fruits, Baking Tarts and the Giveaway Winner

I have to admit that every year, I have a hard time adjusting to the summer season here in the South. Once we enter the rainy season, it gets very, very hot, humid and stormy. We spend a lot of time in the pool and indoors away from the scorching sun. Baking becomes almost like a luxury as we try not to over-heat the house too much. But summer also means stone fruit season and that makes it all worth it.

This weekend we found the ripest and most beautiful nectarines and white peaches. I saved some for sorbet and used the rest for tarts. I couldn't resist.



Because I love both custard and frangipane tarts and because I cannot choose one over the other, I decided to make a little bit of both. I used the nectarines for these super simple nectarine and pistachio frangipane tarts and cherries for cherry and cinnamon flan tarts. Both creamy and very flaky.

Even though sometimes I like to experiment with flavors and I am very intrigued by new techniques and cooking methods, I have to admit that a slightly warm fruit tart with some vanilla ice cream is all I could ever ask for. My ideal way to end a meal for sure.



And finally, what most of you might be waiting for... the winner of the raspberry powder giveaway is ibb of Living in a Matchbox (please contact me so I can get all your information). Thank you everyone for participating and commenting. I should have little giveaways like this more often!



Short Dough

Makes enough for about 12 3-inch tart rings

250 grams butter, room temperature
125 grams powdered sugar
1 egg
Zest of 1 orange
370 grams flour
2 grams baking powder
3 grams salt

Cream the butter and the powdered sugar together. Add the zest and the egg and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl and paddle well.

Add the flour, baking powder and salt and mix until combined.

Divide the dough into two disks and wrap in plastic wrap. Flatten the disks slightly with your hands. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Take the dough out of the refrigerator and if it's too hard to roll, let it come to room temperature for about 10 minutes. Roll to 1/8" thick. Cut circles that are larger than your tart rings. Fill the tart rings and place them on a sheetpan lined with parchment.

Let the filled tart rings rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours so the dough relaxes and doesn't shrink in the oven.

Pistachio Frangipane

200 grams butter, softened
200 grams sugar
2 eggs
60 grams flour
200 grams pistachios, ground to a fine meal

Cream the butter and the sugar together. Add the egg. Scrape and mix well. Add the flour and the ground pistachios and mix until all ingredients are well incorporated.

If you are only going to use a little bit of bit, you can freeze the leftovers for up to 2 months.

Assemble the Pistachio and Nectarine Tarts

Dock the bottom of the tarts lightly.

Place the pistachio frangipane in a pastry bag fitted with a pastry tip (#5) and fill the tarts about halfway.

Cut thin slices of nectarine and place them on top of the frangipane. Press them lightly into the frangipane.

Bake the tarts at 375F for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Cherry, Cinnamon and Vanilla Flan Tarts

100 ml heavy cream
100 mil whole milk
6 egg yolks
50 grams sugar
5 grams cornstarch
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla extract
Cherries

Use the same short dough recipe but this time, use ring molds that are a bit higher. Fill the ring molds with the rolled short dough and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Dock the bottom of the short dough, line the inside with parchment, fill with dried beans and blind bake for 15 minutes at 350F.

Prepare the flan filling by whisking together the egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch. Add the heavy cream, whole milk, cinnamon and vanilla. Whisk until incorporated. Strain this custard through fine sieve.

Cut and pit the cherries. Fill the pre-baked tart shells with the cherries. Make sure you fill them to the top. Pour the custard into the tarts and bake them at 325F for about 20 minutes until bubbly and set.

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Stone Fruits, Baking Tarts and the Giveaway Winner

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Saturn Nectarines, Red Currants and Raspberries

I just returned from Colorado where I spent a week with close friends. It was a necessary vacation. Colorado always recharges my brain and re-energizes my body. Our friends Jill and Erik were kind enough to open their house to us one more time and we truly enjoyed their company.

I am working on many new recipes but to start, I wanted something summery, light and fruity. I finally found red currants in the store and of course, I immediately thought of crumble. Saturn peaches and nectarines were also abundant and decided to combine them with the red currants and raspberries for a bit of tart, sweet contrast. I topped them with pistachio crumble and mace mascarpone cream.

Saturn peaches remind me immensely of summer vacations at the beach. We call them "paraguayos" and they were always part of the snacks my mom used to pack for us in the cooler. Peaches, melon, tortilla de patata... Finished with an ice cream sandwich.




Saturn Nectarine, Red Currant and Raspberry Crumble

2 saturn peaches, peeled and diced
50 grams red currants
50 grams fresh raspberries (you can use frozen ones as well)
10 grams sugar
1/4 tsp nutmeg
10 grams flour

All these measurements can be slightly adapted depending on the sweetness of the fruit and its water content.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Divide amongst ramekins. Top with pistachio crumble and bake at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes or until the filling starts to bubble.

Pistachio Crumble

100 grams unsalted butter
100 grams sugar
100 grams flour
125 grams pistachios, chopped
pinch of salt

Cream all ingredients together in an electric mixer. It will be crumbly. Place on a cookie sheet or in an air tight container and refrigerate over night. I normally make a large batch and freeze it and then I bake what I need. Break little pieces and top the fruit filling with it.

Mace Mascarpone Cream

60 grams organic heavy cream
60 grams mascarpone cheese
15 grams sugar
Pinch of mace

Whip all ingredients until soft peaks form.





On another note, my little boy got his first real haircut in Colorado. I miss his blonde curls but it was time. He spent time at "Honey's" riding the four wheeler, playing with dogs and pinball machines. What else can a boy ask for right? Thanks Robyn and Paul!

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Saturn Nectarines, Red Currants and Raspberries

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